What to wear?

Hello, is anybody with me on this? Please, tell me I'm not the only one who stands in the closet staring at the piles of clothes trying to decide what looks good together. I know what you're going to say Pinterest, right? 

In this day and age of what I call "selfie overload" we feel the pressure to look good. No not just good, fabulous! There are scores of pictures out there with what to wear and how to pair it down with a handful of items that all go together and make you look like a million dollars. So when faced with the appointment for your portrait session why do we freak out? Because we want that awesome one in a lifetime shot that everyone drools over.

Reality, you are beautiful and any photo where you are being you IS the million dollar shot! We see it in your smile and in your eyes. Getting you comfortable in front of the camera brings out your personality and that really makes your portraits come to life! So, let's work backwards here. You need to feel comfortable in your clothes. Let's think, are you active and like to climb? If you think it would be neat to climb a boulder to sit on then you are going to need clothes that bend. A pair of nice jeans and a polo shirt would look a little out of sorts. Same would be said about those jeans and polo shirt or a nice dress in an alley with graffiti on the wall. 

So the next thing after comfortable clothes comes the where? I took some portraits of a senior guy who was dressed in a nice dress shirt and pair of pants in Downtown Springfield. We stayed to the more modern coffee shop and by the theater to combine his outfit and love of the downtown area. His personity shined in the portraits beacause he was wearing an outfit he felt good in and we were incorperating an atmosphere he enjoyed. Another example would be the girl pictured above. She loved the outdoors and her blue jeans. Setting her in a scence that was open and free with the warm sun, her smile lit up the portraits! Where do you go and what do you like to do?

Lastly, I would ask you to think in layers and colors. Wearing a green cardingan over a yellow tank while standing in a well manicured hosta garden you might disapear into the background. Same with a blue shirt against a blue sky. Layers is awesome because you can get a few looks without having to dash into a bathroom and change as fast as superman. Guys you can layer too. A nice T-shirt under a button up shirt with a jacket is layering. I would take a few portraits with everything on then maybe use the jacket draped over the shoulder, then move to just the button up and then end with the T-shirt for a nice casual finish.

That's my tip for preparing what to wear for your portrait session. Pick outfits you feel good in and move the way you move. List the things you like to do and places you hang out in. Lastly, wear layers for more looks without having to change and waste your session time. Now, if I could just figure out what to wear out to dinner?

Oh, well till next time! Thank you for reading!

Jennifer